Pascagoula residents clean up flood aftermath

Sunday night downpours flooded several streets in Jackson County and left some damage behind. (Photo source: WLOX)

The intensity of the rain was too much for drainage systems to handle causing many areas to see several feet of standing water. (Photo source: WLOX)

Flood water got into the halls of First Presbyterian Church on the corner of Ingalls Avenue and Pascagoula Street. (Photo source: WLOX)

Volunteers are helping to clean up the mess left behind by the standing water that came through the first floor of the church's education wing. (Photo source: WLOX)

Pastor Matt Mitchell hopes to have the church ready for Sunday's services. (Photo source: WLOX)

PASCAGOULA, MS (WLOX) -

Sunday night downpours flooded several streets in Jackson County and left some damage behind. The intensity of the rain was too much for drainage systems to handle causing many areas to see several feet of standing water.

Some of the worst hit areas were along Old Mobile Highway and Ingalls Avenue. First Presbyterian Church sits at the corner of Ingalls Avenue and Pascagoula Street. The flood water made its way into the hallways of the church.

"It just shot through like a river and it happened fast," said Pastor Matt Mitchell.

Now he's left cleaning up the mess left behind by the standing water that came through the first floor of the church's education wing. The hallways are filled with fans, shop vacs, and cleanup crews. Mitchell said people throughout the community answered a call for help and worked overnight.

"Our youth pastor was here and he called me. Then I put it out on Facebook and everybody started showing up," said Mitchell.

He hopes to have the church ready for Sunday's services.

A little further east in Pascagoula, Angie Grajeda with the American Red Cross made rounds through the effected neighborhoods.

"After the flooding, typically, is when we come back in and assess if people need any additional assistance, if people need cleanup kits," said Grajeda.

According to Grajeda, her first look at the damage will help her decide whether or not the area needs a disaster unit. For the most part, she relies on interactions with the residents to find out what the neighborhood needs.

One of her first stops was at the home of Thadeous Barnes. He said the water didn't get in his house this time, but he was surprised at how quickly it came up.

"If it stops raining for a while then it will get on out of here. But, it rises up pretty fast," said Barnes.

His neighborhood was barricaded by police, which he said kept cars from sending wakes of water into his house.

For Arthur Black, the barricades didn't keep his property from seeing some damage.

"The ditch gets flooded through there every time a bad, bad rain comes through," said Black.

He remembered seeing the water creep up his property and then over the tires of his car.

"Now my car won't crank and all I can do is wait," said Black.

It's something he said he hasn't seen in a decade.

"Not since Katrina. Yep, not since Katrina," said Black.

According to the WLOX weather team, the city of Pascagoula saw nine inches of rain overall Sunday night.

Sunday was a wet one for most of South Mississippi as heavy rain moved through the area. One county saw more rain than the rest, and that was Jackson County. We recorded more than nine inches of rain at the Navigator Credit Union in Pascagoula throughout Sunday afternoon and evening.More >>

Sunday was a wet one for most of South Mississippi as heavy rain moved through the area. One county saw more rain than the rest, and that was Jackson County. We recorded more than nine inches of rain at the Navigator Credit Union in Pascagoula throughout Sunday afternoon and evening.More >>

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